Time and All It's Complexities
by LionessoftheEast
Summary: While looking for pictures of their grandparents, Albus and Lily accidentally break a time turner. They're sent to the past, Lily taking the place of Lily Evans and Albus taking the place of Harry. But what happens to the people they've replaced? And how will they get home? Time Travel.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! So this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter story. I hope to update at least every two weeks. Please review! Thanks.

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Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or any plots and characters.

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2022

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It was a normal summer afternoon in the Potter household that day. The sun peaked out from the clouds, a relief after a fortnight of rain. Harry was at the Ministry, working overtime to accumulate a week off to spend with his children. Ginny sat at her desk in the study, fingers tapping away at the keys of a typewriter, finishing her column on the Chudley Cannons tenth losing season in as many years. The only thing strange about the whole scene was that James, Albus and Lily were inside also, rather than chasing after muggle ice cream trucks or playing Quidditch in the yard in the back, which they shared with the Longbottoms and George and Angelina Weasley.

It was no accident that the three Potter children were inside for the day. In fact, they had voluntarily locked the front door and closed the blinds. James joked that it was for a demon summoning ritual, at which Albus replied that it had been proven that demons weren't real, and Lily said that it was an impractical place to perform a summoning, as the blood needed to draw the pentagram would stain the carpet and give them away. They had pulled it off quite well, but James knew they were joking. His siblings did have some sense of humor, no matter how small.

In fact, the reason the siblings were inside on a nice summer day was not particularly magical at all. Actually, it was a common problem among muggle celebrities, though on a larger scale. The truth was, a cameraman for Witch Weekly had spotted the three children walking around the muggle parts of Godric's Hollow, and had decided to follow them. Using James's crazy ideas, Albus's knowledge of physics, and Lily's strategies, they had managed to the escape the cameras and slip into their house, which paparazzi was not allowed to come near.

The siblings had gone their separate ways, James upstairs to test some of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products that Uncle George had sent over, Albus to floo Rose and have a debate about whether or not flooing should be allowed without permission, as Albus had apparently entered her room while she was doing her hair, and Lily, bored to death, to examine the pictures on the fireplace mantel for the umpteenth time.

She had memorized each of the pictures on the mantelpiece, as it was usually what she did when she was bored. As much as Lily liked plotting her enemies' downfalls, James was the idea guy. She was the one who planned out how exactly they were going to pull it off without getting caught. She didn't like to reread books over and over again like Albus either, even though she did like to read. All together, it was a recipe for boredom.

The first picture was her parent's wedding picture. They were young, but not as young as her grandparents. Dad was laughing, his black hair sticking up exactly like James and Albus's did. Mum was smiling the widest Lily had ever seen, her eyes shining even in the picture. She was beautiful too, her hair pulled up in a gracious up sweep, and a gorgeous white dress with flowing skirts. On principle, Lily didn't consider her parents particularly dashing (unlike the rest of the Wizarding World). She was, after all, a teenager. But she thought they looked wonderful in their wedding picture. It was rather sweet.

Lily's eyes scanned over the rest of the pictures- her, James and Albus as babies, each of their first year sendoffs from King's Cross, eighteen Christmases, and countless birthdays, until she got to the other picture she particularly liked to examine. In it was a red haired woman with bright eyes and a dark, messy haired man with glasses, but the couple wasn't Harry and Ginny. It was her grandmother and grandfather, James and Lily Potter. The whole Wizarding World seemed to know exactly what had happened to them- how they had died when her Dad was a year old. There was even a bloody statue in front of the church in Godric's Hollow! She could hardly forget them. But no one seemed to know much about who they really were, rather than what they did. Their three best friends were dead, two honorably and one a traitor, and Lily had never gotten up the courage to ask Professor Mcgonagall or Professor Flitwick, the only two professors at Hogwarts old enough to have taught Lily and James.

She picked up the frame, examining it. It was new, unlike the picture, obviously. It was taken before Dad was born, probably somewhere around 1979. Lily popped the photograph out from the frame and examined the back. Written in small letters, so messy she could hardly read it, was a little note.

_Glad you had fun, but I had to stand in the wind and it messed up my hair! Happy anniversary. Love, Sirius _

Funny, Lily had never noticed that before. She supposed she had never pulled the picture out of the frame simply because she would have been scolded for it. Strange, that had never stopped her before. Albus had the right idea with his speeches about possibilities. Of course, it was usually accompanied by a statistic, and by then she and James had stopped paying attention. But really, you could pretty much do anything if you thought outside the box. It was certainly more interesting, it seemed.

Sirius… The name rang a bell in her head. Where had she heard that name before? Lily glanced around the mantel, eyes settling on a picture near the back. Still clutching the photo of her grandparents, she leaned forward to examine it. She recognized her father immediately- messy black hair and a burgundy scar sticking out on his pale forehead. A man stood with his hand on her Dad's shoulder, laughing. He had shoulder length hair that might have once been neat but had been ruined by… something.

_By Azkaban, _Lily realized. This was Sirius Black. Dad's godfather. Her… great godfather? He looked much better than most people would've after twelve years in the brutal wizard prison.

The picture must have been taken in 1995 or '96, because Sirius had died that spring. Lily wasn't sure why, but it had something to do with a curtain.

She frowned, trying to dig up the memories. The Second Wizarding War was awfully complicated, with so many people as spies or under the Imperius Curse or on either side that it took years to remember. Besides, Lily had made a point of ignoring Professor Binns on the subject, not wanting to hear a familiar name.

All of the sudden, a body crashed through the fireplace, smacking into Lily and separating her grip on the picture. She fell back onto the wooden floor with Albus on top of her with a painful _smack! _while the picture flew across the room and hit the wall with a _crash! _as the glass shattered.

"Al, you prat!" Lily exclaimed, running over to examine the picture. "Couldn't you have walked through the floo like a normal person?" The glass had shattered completely, puncturing the photograph in places. Other bits of the frame covered the plank floors in a fine dust of broken glass.

"Calm down, Lilykins," Albus said, rubbing the back of his head. "The fire's supposed to glow green before I come out. And anyway, I couldn't have walked through it, seeing as Rose shoved me in. She wasn't happy about me appearing in the middle of her hair styling time. It's a lot bushier when she doesn't magic it, did you know that?"

"Yes, I did, " Lily replied through gritted teeth. "I'm a girl too, in case you hadn't noticed. She taught me how to style my hair. And you better be able to fix this. It's the only picture Dad's got of his parents."

He sat down, prying the broken frame from her fingers, which were beginning to bleed from the glass. He examined it a moment, before drawing his wand.

"You ought to fix that," Albus added, motioning to her fingers. "This'll be an easy one, I do it with my glasses all the time. Surely you can repair a measly picture frame, Lily."

Lily, having decided that her fingers weren't important enough for her attention at the moment, rolled her eyes. "No, I can't, because of something called underage magic. Not all of us are seventeen, Al."

"No. You're the only one who isn't," Albus replied, and received a swat on the arm with bloody fingers for it. "Merlin, Lily. Just joking. And look, you've stained my sleeve!"

"Can't you clean a measly sleeve, Ravenclaw?" she said, mockingly. "Seriously, Al. Dad'll kill me. Fix it!"

"He won't kill you, but fine." Albus drew his wand, and without uttering a word, he waved it over the picture frame. Even the tiniest bits of glass lifted off the floor, fusing together flawlessly, as if the frame had never shattered. Even though Lily had grown up with magic, sometimes it still amazed her. "And by the way, Lils, this won't be the only picture Dad's got of his parents. There are probably boxes downstairs."

"Right," Lily said. "I knew that."

"No you didn't. Besides, now you've hooked me in. Let's go look for them." Albus took her wrist, pulling her toward the basement stairs.

"Stupid Ravenclaw curiosity," she muttered, pulling away. She glared at him for a moment, folding her arms, before succumbing to his pout and following him down the stairs. After all, she was rather curious too.

The basement was by no means a pleasant place. It wasn't finished, so the walls and floor were made of concrete, which was horridly cold in the winter. In the summer, however, it was rather pleasant, the coolness of the underground room, if you could ignore the towering boxes of stuff stacked upon the walls. James, Lily and Albus had spent lots of rainy days downstairs, playing hide and seek or show and tell. They hadn't spent much time down here lately, preferring to spend their days with their cousins or friends rather than in a cellar.

Lily and Albus descended down the creaky wooden staircase, the dim light flickering in the room. She kept her hand gripped to the railing, careful not to fall down. It wouldn't be very fun. As she stepped down from the landing, she nearly tripped over a newer box- full of what appeared to be programs for the Ministry dinner her parents had to attend each year.

"Blimey, there's so much more rubbish in here than there was when we were little." Albus had tripped over a bag of old Quidditch uniforms for the team Lily had played on when she was eight. He winced as he got up, rubbing his ankle.

"Oh, please," Lily scoffed. "I know it doesn't hurt. Quit being stupid, Al." She cracked her knuckles and glanced around the basement, frowning. Boxes, mostly normal looking cardboard ones sat on countless shelves. They looked normal, but she knew some of them were magically enhanced, most likely so that they were bigger on the inside. "Where would those pictures be?"

Albus brushed off the back of his trousers and began to dig through a box next to him. Lily turned around to check a bag sitting on the ground near the foot of the stairs. She opened the top carefully, to make sure nothing popped out at her. (Her uncle owned a joke shop. It paid to be careful.) Inside the box, there was some sort of muggle plastic sheet in the box, with air filled bubbles attached to it. As she picked it up, the bubble popped, tickling her fingertips.

"Hey, Al. You took muggle studies. What is this stuff?"

Albus sneezed, dust covering his face. He glanced over at Lily, nose wrinkled. "Not photographs," he noted.

"Thank you, for that wonderful speech." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can tell it's not a photograph. But what is it?"

He dropped the box he was holding, letting stacks of old chocolate frog cards fall onto the floor. Most of them were of Dad. Albus stuck his hands in his pockets, brushed off his nose, and picked up the plastic sheet. "It's bubble wrap," he said grinning and popping another bubble.

"Bubble wrap? What's it do?" Lily frowned and folded her arms.

"Keeps muggle's fragile stuff from breaking when they mail it. But the best part is…" he stuck the bubble wrap in her face and popped a few bubbles. "That."

"Right," she replied, rolling her eyes and shoving away Al's hand. "We should keep looking for the pictures." She squeezed the picture frame from the mantel to make sure it was still there, and began to trek deeper into the basement. She ran her fingers along the shelves, briefly glancing into each box for more frames. Her fingers left a trail of clean in the dust covered boxes, like a line of footsteps in untouched snow.

She peered into a box and noticed a strange hourglass on a necklace balanced on top of an old candy tin. Deciding it was just weird jewelry, Lily looked farther up and noticed a picture frame poking out of a box just out of her reach. Even as she stepped up on the bottom shelf to try to jostle it, her hand fell an inch or so short.

"Al! Help me out here! I think I found something!" Albus turned around and watched Lily for a moment, deciding the best way to help.

He had come to the conclusion that he should try to hoist Lily up, like he used to when they were little. Later it would occur to him that he could have used magic, but he had only turned seventeen a month ago and his brain was used to figuring things out without it.

"Get down. I'll lift you up." It would also occur to Lily later that they should have used magic, but she was focused on the picture, one of the few times she was only thinking about one thing at once.

She hopped down from the shelf. Albus made a step with his hands near the ground, grunting as she stepped onto them. Lily was expecting to simply reach up and grab the box, but he had another idea. He pulled his hands up fast, with her standing on them, attempting to hoist her up to the top of the large box.

It worked to some extent. Lily was flung upwards, right in reach of the box, but the problem was that she couldn't hold on. She reached for one of the flaps, which gave way to her weight, sending her down to the box below, which held the strange necklace. She just barely managed to keep hold of the picture from the mantel before the hourglass necklace broke her fall, shattering and showering it's golden dust all around her, and the world disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the two lines at the top. Formatting is annoying.

Anyway, here's the second chapter! Sorry if Albus's is a little slow. He doesn't immediately run into any people.

Review if you can! Thanks.

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1975

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The first thing that registered in Lily's brain was that it was really, really bright. Quite a contrast to the dark, dank basement that she had occupied a few minutes before. The sky was a deep, bright, blue, not too common for England, but not much of a change from how they day had been when she was in the basement.

The second thing that registered was that the grass was making her sneeze. Trying to hold her breath, Lily began to try to sit up. Halfway through, she sneezed, covering her nose with the back of her hand and wincing as her bloody fingers brushed against the skin of her cheek.

"Bless you."

And that was when she noticed the whispers. She wasn't at home anymore, it seemed.

Flocks of children stood in a circle around her, staring with wide eyes. They muttered to each other like children did, probably spreading rumors a thousand miles an hour through the crowd. Had Lily looked a little closer, she would have noticed that all of the children had hairstyles out of a retro magazine, and had she listened a bit more, she might have caught a few "far outs" passed through the crowd. But she was too busy staring at what they were wearing.

She had seen the uniforms before though, but not in the middle of July, at her house. Each of the children were wearing Hogwarts uniforms. She caught a mix of Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors, and a few Slytherins scattered here and there. Lily rubbed her eyes, waiting to wake up at home, probably either in the basement or in her bed, having found this was all a dream.

"Lily? You okay?" Lily turned her head, frowning. The voice was familiar, but distant at the same time. It sounded a bit like James or Dad, but there was something else in it that their tones both lacked.

She spotted the boy talking to her. Her eyes narrowed as she took in his mop of messy black hair and hazel brown eyes. Though his face was the picture of concern, she could the laugh lines where the corners of his lips naturally curved upward.

So this was a prank. Either that or the strangest dream she'd ever had.

"James, this better not be a prank," she said, glaring at the boy.

"I'm offended, Lilykins. How dare you think I'd play a prank on you?" James looked hurt, his eyes widening, hands cupped around his chest in mock pain. He glanced back at one of the other boys, laughing slightly.

Who were those other boys? Lily didn't recognize them. One had sandy blond hair and a rather scruffy look to him. She noticed that two scars that looked to have once been deep gouges criss crossed over his cheeks. He looked like he was analyzing her, his eyes showed that his brain was racing a million miles away. The same look Albus had when he was trying to figure out a riddle.

The other boy had dark hair that fell to his shoulders in waves. He was handsome- Lily would give him that, but from the way he looked around the courtyard, he seemed confident, if a little arrogant. His gray eyes crinkled, showing that he laughed a lot. The top button of his dress shirt was unbuttoned, though his scarlet and gold tie was still messily knotted around his neck.

The last boy was a good deal shorter than the others. He had light blond hair, but instead of being lean or muscular he had a layer of pudge around the middle. His smile was crooked, and as the corners of his mouth perked up, Lily could see freckles stretched across his cheeks. His fingers fiddled with the edge of his sweater.

Lily shook her head. If this was a prank, she was going to kill James.

"I'm not kidding. If this is a prank, I'm going to kill you!" She glared at him, looking into his hazel eyes without fear.

Wait. James had brown eyes, not hazel ones. What was going on?

"It's not a prank, Lily. Are you okay?" He took a step toward her, motioning to her fingers, cut from the picture frame glass.

Lily scooted back, knowing full well that if this was one of James's pranks, touching him would be very bad for her. But how he had pulled off something as big as this, she didn't have a clue.

The grass stung her fingers as she set them down. _Stupid picture frame, _she thought. _Why didn't I mend my hands? _

The picture frame! She wasn't holding it anymore. Lily looked around, spotting a glint of metal on the stone courtyard a few yards away. The sandy blond haired boy seemed to follow her gaze, noticing the frame. He started toward it, but in one fluid motion, Lily jumped up and snatched the picture from the ground.

"Stop playing with me, James," she said, giving him a glare. "It's not funny anymore. And where's Al?"

"Who's Al?" asked the shorter boy. Lily ignored him.

"Lily," said the boy in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" She protested, frowning at all of the children around her, watching the scene as if it was a muggle movie.

"Oh, give up, Remus. She's probably just playing with us. Bloody good prank though, Evans." The long haired boy winked in her direction, as if to say, _sorry for ruining your game. _Lily scowled at him, and then his words took effect in her brain.

Remus? Like Teddy's father? _Evans? _

For a moment there was silence, and then Lily put the pieces together.

Her grandmother's name was Lily Evans Potter. Teddy's father's name was Remus Lupin. They were the same age.

The short boy spoke up, frowning. "Yeah, it's probably a prank, guys."

"That's what I said, Peter," the long haired boy replied.

Peter. Peter Pettigrew? The spy?

"You sure you're okay, Lily?" Remus asked, ignoring the other boys. He frowned in concern.

They thought she was her grandmother. They thought she was Lily Evans. Merlin, she must have traveled to the 70s!

"Lily?" Remus asked again, still frowning.

"Yes!" Lily said, flustered. She needed to get out of here, fast. Before they found out that she wasn't Lily Evans. "I-I mean, yes, I'm… fine. I've gotta go… do something. Bye!" Lily took off in a sprint through the courtyard, scattering students in her wake. She ran inside, pausing for a moment to realize she was in Hogwarts, and that two months ago she had sat in this courtyard with her cousin Hugo and her best friend, Alice.

_Or I will in about 50 years, _Lily remembered. She ducked into a bathroom, relieved to find it was empty. She locked one of the stolls, closed the seat and sat down, pulled her knees to her chest. She balanced the picture of her knees, staring down at the nineteen or twenty year old Lily Evans Potter.

A tear leaked out of her eye, and Lily put the picture on the ground next to her, not wanting to stain it with her tears. She cradled her head in her hands and began to sob.

Where was Al? And what was she going to do?

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1995

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Albus opened his eyes, waiting to hear a shout from Lily. She was rather feisty when she wanted to be, and her bat-bogey hexes could rival their mother's. Uncle Ron liked to say that she had a Gryffindor spirit in a Slytherin mind, which Lily seemed to accept. Of course, this was after Ron had gotten over the fact that his niece was a Slytherin.

But when there was no indignant shout of "Albus!" and no flash of red hair, he was confused. He sat up, frowning at his surroundings.

He was no longer in the basement, though this small room was about as messy. Spellbooks and crumpled pieces of parchment littered the floor, laying side by side with smelly socks and the occasional pair of trousers. Whoever had occupied this room had certainly not expected anyone to visit.

Albus frowned as he took in the rest of the room. A small window looked out into a typical suburban street, complete with identical houses and neat little cars tucked into driveways. The occasional sprinkler hissed through the near-silence. He ran his fingers along the top of the sill, marveling at the strange bolts inserted into the wood, like someone had once installed prison bars over the opening. The door also had a cat-flap, he noticed.

He considered leaving the room to explore more, but decided he ought to find out where he was exactly first. Not a wizarding household, it seemed, as there was a severe lack of Quidditch posters or gossip magazines with moving pictures to be found.

A trunk stowed in the corner caught Albus's attention. Frowning, he drifted over to kneel next to it. Digging his hand into the contents, he winced as he connected with a swath of broken quills poking into his skin. He gingerly removed his hand, grabbing a cloak from the swirls of Hogwarts robes shoved inside. He checked the tag, frowning.

It read: _Property of Harry James Potter. _

Albus frowned, confused. What was his dad's old trunk doing here? It was in the basement, last he had checked. And where was he, anyway?

With a warning in the form of a flap of an owl's wings and a dignified _hoot! _and owl soared through the window and landed neatly on a stack of newspapers sitting on a desk that was equally messy as the floor. Albus jumped up, alarmed, still clutching his father's cloak. He frowned at the owl, confused.

"Hedwig?" he asked. The owl gave a hoot, bobbing her head. But what was Hedwig doing here as well? She should be at home, with Albus's family. She wasn't the first Hedwig, of course. That had been Dad's first owl, who had died when he was seventeen. The Hedwig Al was thinking of was actually Hedwig III, but everyone just called her Hedwig.

Hedwig hopped into her cage, leaving the newspapers for Albus's eyes to catch. And it did, the headline in particular.

_Third Muggle Found Dead This Month. Sirius Black Suspected. _

_Sirius Black? _Albus mused. Ironic; he and Lily had just been talking about him. But Sirius was dead. He had died in 1996. How odd.

He looked up at the date, and his eyebrows furrowed. _August 5th, 1995. _

Strange as well. The newspaper looked remarkably new to be nearly thirty years old. The flimsy paper hadn't yellowed at all, it seemed, even though Hedwig must have been landing on it for as long as she'd been here, and that seemed to be a while, considering Albus could see the marks on the desk from her cage.

Perhaps it was enchanted. Did they do that to newspapers? Making a mental note to ask someone about that, he turned to the rather dirty mirror on the wall next to the desk. Upon seeing his appearance, he stood stock still.

He still had the irritating and incurable black hair that seemed the curse of all of the Potter boys to inherit, and the sharp green eyes that he was used to, but he was no longer… himself, really.

His nose was longer, and his glasses looked older, not by use, but by style. His lips turned down more at the ends, edging toward a frown. His eyes looked tired, small dark patches under them. But most noticeably, a lightning shaped scar zigzagged down his forehead.

Albus reeled backward, tripping over a stray trainer and landing flat on his back on the floor. He ran his hands over his forehead, but could only feel smooth skin. What was going on? Why did he have his father's scar? It didn't make any sense.

_It must be a glamour, _he realized. An advanced one, considering Albus didn't feel strange, he just looked it. _But why would someone put a glamour on me? _

He frowned, considering the possibilities. It was always easier to make a list of everything that could possibly happen. An organized mind was an efficient mind, to take a line from Professor Flitwick.

He could be dreaming. It seemed a likely solution. He must have been knocked out when Lily fell on him. He was probably laying on the couch, his concerned parents and Lily, tears in her eyes, awaiting his awakening. Albus could think of no suitable reason why he would be in this strange room, glamoured to look like his father.

But he never dreamed as vivid as this. And he never thought about the fact he was dreaming during a dream. They were spontaneous and uncontrollable, yet here Albus could think rationally and move his limbs at will. Not to mention, Lily would never cry over anything as stupid as Al being knocked out for a second. Especially not when it had been his fault.

But could he move his limbs? He allowed himself the delusion that he couldn't move his left leg for a few moments before rolling his eyes and concentrating again.

It could be an elaborate prank by James. Despite all of his sibling's lamenting about how Albus was usually the ones who pulled off their pranks, James was quite gifted in magic, which had been much to Mcgonagall's disadvantage.

But there was still no reason that James would have stuck him in his fifteen year old father's body. If he had wanted to get a scream out of Albus, he would have just transfigured everything in the room into spiders.

_That's it, _Albus thought with a sigh, still sitting on the bedroom floor. _That's all I've got. _

He rested his head on the bed frame, sighing. Great. He was stuck in a strange bedroom in a strange place with no idea why. It was a perfect kidnapping, leaving him informationless and therefore nearly defenseless.

_Don't be stupid. You know what's happened. _

Albus nearly groaned. It was _that _voice. The kind that spoke up when his mind had irrationally given up and presented him with facts. Usually at the most annoying times, like when he wanted to prank someone but was reminded he had homework, or told that he oughtn't to try the Quidditch move, because it was physically impossible for someone of his muscle mass.

Coincidentally, it was also the voice who gave him his sarcastic remarks, but that was a whole other discussion. Right now it was obviously being the first one.

The thing was, it was always right. Albus did know what had happened. He just didn't want to admit it, admit that he was decades away from anyone who could possibly help him.

He had time traveled. That was the only explanation. The newspaper looked new because it was new. Perhaps it had only been printed this morning. His father's trunk and owl was here because this was his father's room. And Albus must have taken his place, his time travelling experience having taken away two years from his form and stuck a scar on his forehead. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He had watched Lily disappear in a shower of gold dust, holding a chain with a broken hourglass connected to it. That must have been the time turner. Then the golden dust had engulfed him, and he had woken up here, miles and years away from home.

Albus put his head in his hands. What had happened in 1995? He searched his brain, praying that he had happened on his father's one peaceful year in Hogwarts. No such luck, it seemed. He remembered that Voldemort had just come back. Sirius would die that spring. Umbridge. The Ministry corruption. Death Eaters.

So basically the only two years the could have been worse to be sucked into were his father's seventh and fourth years. Great luck.

Albus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Sarcasm suddenly seemed tame for his situation. He was in a war zone, after all. He wanted to hit something, preferably Lord Voldemort. Of course, Bellatrix Lestrange would suffice. She was still alive in 1995, wasn't she?

He leaned forward and rested his temples on his knees, and settled for letting thick, hot tears trace rivers down his cheeks.

His head shot up as he heard a voice.

"Harry?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hi. I'm back. Sorry about this, I have no excuse for not updating other than that I didn't feel like it, which is really stupid. I intend to have the next chapter up on Wednesday. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter nor any of it's characters.

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2022

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Harry was confused. One moment he had been sitting in his small room at the Dursley's, contemplating how exactly Dumbledore was going to handle Fudge's ridiculous notion that he had committed a crime worthy of being expelled, and the next he was sitting here.

The room was much bigger than his own, and much brighter, a lamp shining from the ceiling. It looked like a muggle lamp, but Harry wasn't sure there was a difference.

Actually, the small room was quite an improvement to the Dursley's. Though it was messy, it seemed homely and lived in, similar to the Weasley's and in stark contrast to his aunt and uncle's. A twin bed sat on one wall, next to an open door revealing a messy closet. There was a large bay window next to the bed that Harry had not yet looked out of, and a closed wooden door that most likely led to a hallway was located on the far wall.

Inside the room, a Hogwarts trunk had been thrown open, at least revealing that he was in a wizard's room, though clearly not his own, as the robes were that of a Ravenclaw's. Harry noticed a pair of broken glasses sitting on the nightstand, next to a picture of three children waving excitedly.

Harry's eyes widened as he looked and the children more closely. Shaking his head, he pulled off his glasses and wiped them on the hem of his shirt to make sure they weren't blurry. He slid them back to the bridge of his nose and frowned at the picture.

The three children were clearly first years; no one was as excited as the new students waiting to see the magnificent castle their parents and siblings told stories about. Even if you were a muggleborn, a whole new world awaited you once you stepped on to the train.

But what caught Harry was not that they were eleven year olds, but that the boy to the left looked exactly like him. He shared Harry's black, infuriatingly messy hair that stuck up in the back. The boy's almond shaped green eyes twinkled back at him, matching his bright smile. The only thing missing was glasses and a scar, and he could've been an eleven year old Harry.

The girl next to him was grinning too, and at first Harry dismissed her for someone he hadn't met-or met anyone who looked like her. But as he examined the picture, he realized she had Hermione's bushy hair, except it was orange.

The third child, a boy with nearly white, blond hair, seemed to have accidentally photobombed the picture. It was clear that he had been walking somewhere when it was taken, which would have been normal if he had not stopped to glare at the two children in the middle of it. Even though his eyes shone with barely contained excitement under the contempt, his stare was so like Draco Malfoy's that it made Harry's blood coil.

_He must be a right git,_ he thought, nodding. Harry turned around and ran a hand through his own messy black hair, picking up the picture. He turned it over and was surprised to find a date written on the back.

_Al and Rose's first year sendoff- September 1st, 2016. _

_2016?_ Harry's eyes widened. He was no beginner to time travel- the last time he had used a time turner he had helped a falsely convicted murderer who also happened to be his godfather escape from the Ministry's clutches, but time traveling to the future?

Not to mention, he hadn't even touched a time turner since he was thirteen. What was going on?

Harry sat up and sighed. Maybe at home, once they figured out that he had disappeared, Hermione and Ron would wish they had written to them.

Pathetic compensation, really. He ran his hand through his hair again, and stood up, walking around the room. Harry stopped at the window, squinting across the backyard.

A Quidditch field stood in the middle, full sized, so the other two houses that looked out into the decent sized green must have been wizarding houses as well. Harry didn't recognize either of them. Where was he?

Turning back around, he noticed a picture hanging on the wall. This one had no frame, and Harry frowned as he looked closer. It was his look alike, sitting in the seeker spot in the picture. He didn't recognize any of the other people on the Quidditch team, but the label read "Ravenclaw Quidditch Team 2021-2022." The black haired boy in this picture, however, looked older than Harry now. He must have been a seventh year, if 2016 had been his first year.

Harry sighed and kicked the trunk angrily. Where was he? He didn't want to open the door, for fear something was out there trying to kill him.

_You're being paranoid, _he thought, frowning. Inching quietly toward the door, as if whoever would be on the other side had not heard his foot hit the polished wood trunk, he drew his wand. In one fluid move, he slammed open the door, pointing his wand down the hallway.

And right at a girl. She let out a squeak and her own wand slipped from her fingertips, landing softly on the carpet. Harry very nearly dropped his own wand, but remembered Moody's advice. If anything, he would have constant vigilance.

Studying her closely, he realized she looked very familiar. She had red hair a few shades lighter that Ginny's that feel just past her shoulders, a rounded nose, and almond shaped emerald eyes.

His eyes. What was going on?

She threw her hands up in a surrender gesture, and after a moment of confusion, Harry realized he was still threatening her with his wand.

"Merlin I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?" she asked frantically, dipping down for a moment to pick up her wand. "I'm sorry, I don't have any idea where I am and I'm awfully confused. A moment ago I was talking to Marlene and then I was here in some Slytherin girl's room and I would really just like to go home!"

Harry took advantage of her pause for breath. "It's okay! It's okay. I'm fine. I haven't any idea where we are. And I woke up in a Ravenclaw's room, so I'm apparently just as confused as you are. Erm…" He wasn't sure how to finish.

The girl smiled in relief. "Oh thank God you don't know anything. I mean, not really, but at least I'm not alone in this. Did the person look just like you? I mean, mine was my age and everything and it was like me as a Slytherin!"

"He looked like me, yes," Harry said, frowning. "But I think mine was older. Seventh year."

"And what year are you?" she asked, crossing her arms and nodding to him.

"Fifth," he replied, relaxing. She didn't seem to want to kill him, at least. And they seemed to be in the same situation.

"Same," she replied. "And what's your name?"

He raised his eyebrows. "What's yours?"

The girl rolled her eyes, glaring at him. "For Merlin's sake, I'm not going to try to kill you. Honestly." She huffed. "I'm Lily. Lily Evans."

_Lily. _Harry paused, staring at her with wide eyes. They were his eyes.

This was his mother. His teenage mother!

He wasn't sure how to respond. Harry supposed he must have just stared at her for a moment, because she frowned again and folded her arms. "Why're you staring? It's not very polite."

"No reason," Harry said numbly. His mother! He reached out to shake her hand, probably grasping a bit too hard, but he had to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"I'm H-harry."

"Harry what?"

He paused, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. Good question. Harry what? He couldn't tell her he was a Potter, because that would tie him to James.

He settled with, "Just Harry."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but made no comment. "Anyway, have you got any idea where we are, exactly?"

Harry cleared his throat, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "There was a picture."

"A picture."

"In the room. It read 2021-2022."

Lily threw her hands up in exasperation. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Year numbers, I'd assume." Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, I'd assume too, Mr. Just Harry. You know, you look a lot like a boy in my class. Ever met James Potter?"

_Calm down. It's okay. She's just asking about your Dad. Who's dead. And who she'll grow up to marry. _

"No. Why?"

"Because he's a git and if you haven't met him then he hasn't infected you yet," Lily replied, and Harry was both surprised and hurt to hear the venom in her voice. She couldn't really hate him, could she?

Of course not. People who hated each other didn't fall in love. They definitely didn't get married.

"Well anyway, the picture said 2022. So I think we've, erm, time traveled," Harry said nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't do that," Lily scolded. "You look like James and it's freaking me out."

"Right," Harry replied. He stuck both of his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Time travel then? Is that why you look like James? Is your last name Potter?" Lily fired the questions before Harry could catch up. Frowning, he replayed the dialogue in his mind before answering.

"Erm, maybe."

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but someone else beat her to it.

"Hey, Lils, Al! "Watcha doing?" A tall boy with hazel eyes framed by round glasses with no rims shouted, reaching the top of the staircase. He had the same mop of messy black hair that Harry did, but his form was more muscular than lanky.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, noticing their shocked expressions. "Merlin, guys. You were fine a minute ago."

Lily cleared her throat. "We're okay. Just talking."

"About what?" Unfortunately, the boy seemed intrigued. "Whose privacy am I invading? Are we planning a prank?"

"No, no, no," Lily replied quickly. "No pranks. Just talking. About dumb stuff, really. You know, school. Teachers. Things like that."

"I s'pose you haven't blown Headmistress off her rocker yet?" the boy asked, still interested. "Freddy and I tried hard enough. Mcgonagall's a tough nut to crack." He waited for a moment, apparently for them to laugh, but Harry and Lily stared at him with confused expressions.

"Are you sure you guys are okay? You seem less enthusiastic." He frowned, leaning towards them as if to get a closer look. At the last second before Harry had decided to lean backward, someone downstairs called "James!"

"That's my cue. See ya." He quirked one side of his mouth up in a half-smile and started down the steps, his feet slamming against the wood.

Lily turned to Harry. "_James?_"

He shrugged helplessly. Was this the cottage he was born in? Who were Lily and Al? The real Lily and Al. And was that James his father? Harry groaned, leaning against the wall and sliding to the floor. Why hadn't he just stayed in the room?


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! Here's this week's chapter. I should get the next one up on time, so expect a new chapter next Wednesday.

Note-In Albus's POV, I'm pretty sure I didn't copy any lines directly from the Order of the Phoenix, but if I did please send me a note so I can fix it.

Review please. Thanks for reading!

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Disclaimer-I don't own Harry Potter nor any characters or plots.

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1975

* * *

It took nearly three solid minutes for the tears to dry up enough so that Lily could see. She took a deep breath and wiped her cheeks, promising to be done with the sobbing for now. She was Lily Luna Potter, and she'd put up with plenty of idiots before.

Admittedly, however, she had never accidentally traveled back in time, nor be mistaken for her fifteen year old grandmother, but Lily knew how to deal with things, and the first step to figuring out how to get home was to bloody _stop crying. _

She stood up, and stepped out of the stall, carefully watching for anyone who recognized her. She wasn't in the mood to pretend she knew the names of her grandmother's friends.

After a quick face wash, Lily's eyes were no longer red and puffy from sobbing and she was feeling reasonably better. She sent a fake smile and nod to the people who greeted her before dashing off in the other direction. She needed to find the headmistress's office. Mcgonagall would know what to do.

Another face flew by, smiling. "'Lo, Lily!" She promptly ignored the girl, who had dark brown hair cut into a fashionable pixie, and who was holding the hand of a slightly taller boy who looked awfully familiar.

Lily smiled quickly and ducked around the corner. The Headmistress's office was near here, in fact, she could see the griffin statue, it's majestic wings raised to guard the doorway. With a breathy laugh of relief, she broke into a run.

Something soft hit her in the front, a blur of gold, scarlet and black. Lily lurched backward, scrambling away from the object, which she soon realized was a girl.

The girl was slightly taller than Lily, with brilliant blond curls and a wide smile. Her barely visible eyebrows raised and the sight of Lily, cowering in the corner. "Erm, Lily? You all right?"

Another girl came bounding around the corner, pulling yet another behind her. The two literally skidded to a stop next to the first.

One was about the height of the first girl, with light brown hair and blue eyes that crinkled as she took in Lily, with her ratty t-shirt and denim shorts, so apart from anyone else walking the halls of Hogwarts.

The second she recognized. She was the girl who had said hello in the corridor, holding the hand of the familiar looking boy. The boy, who she now realized looked a lot like Professor Longbottom from her time.

"Lily?" the girl she had seen before asked. "Are you sure you're okay? You seemed awfully flustered when I saw you in the halls."

"She's probably fine, Alice," the blue-eyed girl said with a sigh. "Right, Lily?"

Lily gulped nervously, caught off guard by their questions. She knew what she wanted to answer. That she was most certainly not alright, but she could hardly tell them that, because then she might have to mention that she wasn't supposed to be born yet. Considering the wizarding world was under attack, she had a feeling it wouldn't sit well with them.

"I-I'm fine!" she blurted. The girls turned to look at her. "I just really need to see the Head-"

"- Professor Dumbledore's at the Ministry right now. Remember, Lily? He told us at breakfast this morning. Do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?" the blonde haired girl asked, gentler than before.

"Oh…" Lily trailed off, her History of Magic lessons coming back to her. Of course. Dumbledore would be alive now, alive for another twenty-one years. That would mean Mcgonagall was still the transfiguration teacher. "I mean, of course. Sorry, slipped my mind."

"The test getting to you, Lils?" Alice's words sent a pang up Lily's spine. She gulped again. That was what James called her when he was worried. Oh, what she would give to be home right now.

_Shut up and think. You need to get to Mcgonagall. She can help. _Lily smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I'm a little freaked out, I s'pose."

"Right," Alice said, frowning at the blond-haired girl. "So we don't need to bother her anymore, because we all know how Lily gets before tests. Marlene?"

"Whatever," the blond-haired girl, (Lily supposed she was Marlene, which made sense because her grandfather had once mentioned a Marlene Mckinnon,) replied, rolling her eyes.

The third girl was still frowning at Lily. "Where'd your uniform go?"

"Prank," Lily said immediately, adopting Sirius's idea. "Erm, d'you think I could go get-"

"Who'd you get?" Marlene cut in, eyes gleaming with mischievous interest. Alice rolled her eyes, and sighed.

"Ja-Potter," she amended. Wasn't that what her grandmother had called her grandmother for a while?

At this, even Alice stopped talking and stared at her.

"Lily Marie Evans," the brown-haired girl began dramatically. "You have officially gone insane."

"I think I agree with Hestia on this one. They're going to murder you," Marlene added.

"No, Potter's infatuated with her," Alice said jokingly, sending amused glances at the other two girls. "Wouldn't hurt a hair on her head."

Apparently Lily's look of utter disgust at the thought of her and her _grandfather _showed through, because all three girls burst out laughing.

"At least your opinion hasn't changed," Marlene said, choking back a final giggle. "Not that I blame you, of course." Her voice and dropped, quieter and lower than before. Lily racked her brains. Had someone died? She wasn't even sure what year it was, really. What had happened?

She swiped away a stray hair out of her vision before beginning to talk. "Right. Potter's gross. Erm, I really need to see Mcgonagall, if you'll excuse me."

"Awfully formal," Hestia muttered. Alice sighed, and crossed her arms.

"Lily, she'll give you detention for being in the halls without your uniform. Besides, she's got first years right now."

"In other words," Marlene said. "She'll kill you even harder if you butt in right now. C'mon, we can go back to the common room. Why d'you need to talk to Mcgonagall anyway?"

"I really have to go talk to her," Lily insisted. "It's urgent."

"Why, Lily?" Hestia asked. "We've just been to transfiguration. Why didn't you tell her then?"

_Because that wasn't me. _"Something's come up. It's important!" Lily, caught up in her panic and frustration, had shouted the last word. The other three girls stopped, frowning at each other. Marlene threw her hands up.

"Fine. If you want to rack up your first detention, Lils, go ahead. But, merlin, please go put on your uniform, at least."

"Fine," Lily said, realizing they weren't going to leave her alone until she did. Anyway, they were right; Mcgonagall would be furious if she walked in on her during a class.

Sighing with relief, Marlene, Alice and Hestia started off toward the common room, Lily reluctantly trailing behind them.

* * *

1995

* * *

Albus frowned, jumping from his position on the floor and walking cautiously toward the doorway. He tried the doorknob to no avail; it was locked.

"Harry?" the same voice he had heard before shouted from downstairs.

"He's here, isn't he?" a feminine voice asked.

"Where else would he be?" This one was gruff and held disdain for the other two, his feelings clear in his voice.

"Dunno," the same girl replied. Al would imagine she accompanied it with a shrug, though he couldn't see her.

"Harry, it's Lupin! Answer if you're here!"

There was a moment of silence before Albus realized who exactly Lupin was, his brain sluggishly making the connection from this Lupin to his god-brother Teddy. It took another second for it to register that the Harry they were referring to was him.

"Up the stairs," he tried, but his words came out garbled, quiet, and raspy. He cleared his throat before trying again. "Up the stairs! The door's locked!"

Part of him was frantically asking what on Earth he was doing. If he would just keep his mouth shut, he could continue to figure out how to get home on his own, and be on his way without messing anything up.

But the rational part of his brain reminded him that there was no time turner in this room, and that if he stayed he was probably going to be stuck here. The only logical option was to go with Teddy's father, whom Albus was positive his father would've trusted.

Still, he drew his wand, though he didn't dare to open the lock.

Al heard quick, quiet steps on the staircase, which he assumed was wooden from the taps. He frowned when it was soon accompanied by a heavy clumping sound, though not as often as the lighter footsteps.

Someone muttered an "Alohomora," and the lock clicked open. Albus tensed, raising his wand higher. Had he really been this short at fifteen?

The door flew open and Albus found himself facing a vaguely familiar man. He had graying hair and a scarred face, but Al could see that he had the same nose as Teddy, and they both had corners of the lips that naturally sunk downward.

So this was Lupin. He sifted through his memories, racking his brains for any information. He was a werewolf. He was going to marry Nymphadora Tonks, but judging from the fact that his ring finger was bare, they weren't married yet. The two new parents were going to die on May 2nd, 1998, during the battle of Hogwarts, from Dolohov and Bellatrix.

But Albus could guess that hadn't happened yet.

"I like this one," said the same gruff voice from before, and Al realized he was still pointing his wand at Lupin." Constant vigilance, he's got." As he said this, the man stepped forward with a _clunk_ on the wooden floor. Albus recognized him immediately. With his half missing nose, abnormally large eye, and hip flask, he was obviously Mad-Eye Moody, a prominent figure in History of Magic discussions.

"Hello, Harry," Lupin said, smiling. He looked a little miserable, but Albus figured that was how he normally looked.

"Hello, Lupin." Al's voice wavered irritatingly, and he wondered for a second if he ought to tell them who he was.

"Call me Remus. I'm not your professor anymore," he said with a smile. _Professor. _Albus filed this information away in his mind, in case he needed to remember it.

"Erm." A thought has just struck Al. If he told them who he was, that he wasn't Harry Potter, but _Albus _Potter, perhaps they would help him get back to 2022. He just had to mention it, hopefully.

The rational side struck this down immediately. They'd kill him for being an imposter, or worse, take him prisoner until he told them where Harry was. This was the Order of the Phoenix he was talking about, and it was no child's play. Not to mention, he didn't have a clue where his teenage father had ended up.

"Right, lower your wand there, will you?" a pink haired lady poked her head around Lupin's shoulder. "You'll take someone's eye out."

"Bugger off, Nymphadora," Moody scoffed. The woman, who Albus realized was Teddy's mother, scowled at the older man and crossed her arms. "Remus, check he's who he says he is, will you?"

"Right," Lupin said, thinking. Albus was already panicking. If he got the question wrong, what would they do to him? "Harry, what form does your patronus take?"

"Stag," Albus replied calmly, hiding his relief. So long as he didn't have to produce one, he would be alright.

"He's the real Harry," Lupin confirmed, nodding to Moody.

"You ought to acquaint him to the rest of us, Remus," said another wizard, standing behind Nymphadora.

"Erm, right," Lupin said. "There's Moody, but you've met him-"

"-Not really, considering I was in a chest most of last year," Moody cut in, ignoring Lupin's glare.

"Nymphadora Tonks,"

"Just Tonks," Nymphadora said through gritted teeth.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones, Dedalus Diggle, Emmaline Vance, and Elphias Doge," Lupin finished, pointing to each witch or wizard in turn. Albus didn't bother to put names with faces, focusing instead on Tonks and Lupin.

Teddy's parents, alive and breathing. He could see the resemblance between the soon to be family, and Albus's chest ached. They would die. How many people would he have to watch die before he got home?

Kingsley stepped forward, and Albus recognized him too-the Minister of Magic. He was rather laid back and nice at home, but logically a war would make him act differently.

Contrary to the facts, Kingsley smiled easily at Al. "So, I hear you're a good flyer?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I've changed my pen name by the way- it's now LionessoftheEast.

Please review! Thanks

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Disclaimer-I don't own Harry Potter nor any characters

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2022

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"Harry? Are you alright?" Harry felt strange, being comforted by his mother. Especially when she was fifteen. He knew exactly what Hermione would say.

_What have you gotten yourself into this time? _What he would've given for Hermione to be here with him, not only to help with the shock of meeting his mother, but also because they might have an idea on how to get back to 1995. Something he was seriously lacking at the moment.

Lily was frowning at him in concern. He blinked, confused for a moment, and then got up from his spot on the floor. "Of course. I just had to time travel, didn't I?"

She crossed her arms, studying him. "Well, it doesn't seem we had a choice. You didn't see anything that could make you time travel, did you?"

"No," Harry said, crossly. He went to run a hand through his hair, and then remembered what Lily had said earlier. Shakily he let it drop.

"Someone's coming up the stairs," Lily said suddenly, frowning. Sure enough, Harry could hear the creaking of the floorboards, though it was softer, muffled by the white carpet that covered the upper floor.

James, who Harry thought wasn't his father but couldn't be sure, came up the stairs, turning to grin at him and Lily. However, it was far from inviting, seeming more grotesque and fake from the exaggerated wrinkles around his eyes. It was fake.

Something was going on.

"Stay quiet," Harry hissed to Lily, who frowned, but kept her lips closed. He stuck his hand into his pocket, fingering his wand, as a messy black head appeared from the staircase. It was James, though he was also holding his wand, and his posture matched that of the few glances of Aurors Harry had stolen through his years in the Wizarding World. He tensed, frowning at the older boy.

Lily drew her wand behind him, the wood scratching against her uniform skirt. He heard her muttering defense spells around the two of them, and was immediately grateful that he wasn't alone.

"Merlin, Albus. Calm down. You're not even much of a dueler, remember?" the boy from before said, smiling arrogantly and leaning casually on the banister.

Harry forced himself to stand loosely like the strange boy did, though he kept a tight grip on his wand. It would hopefully save him if his father's apparent doppelganger figured out that they weren't who he thought they were.

"Anyway, you know how I'm in Auror training?" the older boy grinned again. Harry fought the urge to burst out with questions, wondering about the profession. Being an Auror sounded like something he would want to do.

"'Course," Lily said, before Harry could reply. He swore the other boy furrowed his eyebrows at this, but he couldn't be sure.

"Right," he continued. "So my big exam's on your birthday, Lils. Wanna remind me the week before?"

"Sure," she replied, smiling a little. "I'll, erm, check on it."

Harry noticed her constant stream of words disappeared when she was lying. He kept a chuckle to himself, not wanting the boy in front of them to see it.

"So what day are you reminding me about?"

"Your exam, which is on my birthday," Lily parroted. Simple enough to remember.

"And what day's your birthday on?" he frowned, staring at her with his hazel eyes. They looked familiar, but Harry couldn't place them.

"January 30th," she replied immediately. Harry repeated the words in his head, wanting to remember them. No one had ever told him his mum's birthday.

He tensed, glaring at them. Harry heard Lily gulp, like she knew she had said something wrong. This boy was certainly not a trusting person; he seemed more likely to stun them and be done with it than hear them out. Besides, he wasn't exactly sure what there was to hear. For Harry knew, this man could be working for Voldemort.

Harry saw his hand move a second before it did, right to his back pocket, where an ebony wand stuck out. He reached desperately for his own wand, managing to draw it just as the boy slashed a stun at him. Harry dodged, slightly elated at the thought that he had avoided a trained Auror, and put a quick shield around Lily, who had just drawn her own wand. He turned to give her a reassuring smile, though how reassuring, he couldn't sure, because he had just met her a moment ago and had refused to give up his last name.

As he turned, the other boy took advantage and sent a stun right at his back. Harry realized his mistake as he whirled around and came face to face with a blast of red light.

The world went black before he hit the floor.

* * *

Lily watched as Harry crumpled to the carpet, his wand flying out of his hand and smacking against one of the posts of the railing. She let herself let out a small groan before strengthening the shield spell around her. Why had he cast it, anyway? He couldn't have known her, though the shock in his eyes when she told him her name begged to differ. He had also seemed rather surprised when she mentioned James Potter, and almost hurt. Maybe he was a relative. They looked awfully alike.

As did this boy, who had the apparently legendary Potter hair, though his eyes were the wrong color. But every move he made, Lily was strongly reminding of the bully.

The James look alike panted, staring at Harry triumphantly. The words of a charm common in the Hogwarts hallways popped into her mind, and without opening her mouth, she thought firmly, _Levicorpus! _

The boy gave a yelp as his ankle was lifted in the air, brushing the ceiling. Lily knew it wasn't to last, as most students knew the counter-curse, but it would buy her some time as he sorted out his panic enough to perform the silent incantation.

She had underestimated him, as he didn't even try to right himself before flicking a set of ropes around Lily, binding her arms to her sides and her knees together. With a shriek, Lily feel to the carpet next to Harry.

Another flick of the boy's wand, and a cloth tied itself around Lily's mouth, gagging her. She continued to mumble, crying out for help, refusing to believe that the other people who must be in this house would side with the strange boy.

"Mum!" the look alike called, trashing within the spell's grip. "Mum! Come up here!"

Lily felt relief as she heard steps on the staircase. Surely this woman, whoever she was, would be more level headed than the boy.

As the woman came to the top of the staircase, Lily could see the family resemblance to the Lily in the Slytherin robes, whose room she had woke up in. They had the same hair color, and the same nose and dash of freckles across their noses. The woman put her hands on her hips, glaring at the boy hanging from the ceiling.

"For Merlin's sake, James! I know you're training to be an Auror, but do you really have to practice on your siblings?" The woman made to untie Lily, who had started on the word "James", but stopped when James called out.

"No! Don't! _That's not Lily!_"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lily cried, hoping she sounded offended. "Who else would I be?"

"I dunno, who are you?"

The woman sighed. "James, stop being ridiculous. That's your sister."

He groaned. "No, mum, I'm serious! She said her birthday was January 30th! Lily's birthday wasn't January 30th!"

She turned to look at Lily, frowning. There was suspicion in the woman's eyes, and Lily knew she was done for. Her lying skills were rubbish.

"Please," she begged, deciding to drop the pretense. "I'm sorry. I just woke up here, in a Slytherin girl's room, and I haven't any idea where I am, and I really just want to go home and take my transfiguration test, which is really odd for me because I hate transfiguration. And I was even having a good day, but I just had to apparently _travel in time, _and got into this mess!"

The boy stopped thrashing against Lily's spell, letting his shoulders fall, staring at her in surprise. The woman's eyes widened, and her mind seemed to be moving at a million miles an hour.

"Time travel?" James said, gaping at her. "_Time travel? _What'd you do with my sister?"

"I don't know," Lily said, wishing she could wipe away the tears that ran down her cheeks. Unfortunately, ropes still bit into her wrists, keeping her restrained. "I haven't a clue where she is. Please. You have to believe me."

The woman studied her closely. Lily gulped. _Nothing to fear, _she reminded herself. _She won't hurt you. _

With a flick of her wand, James was righted, sitting on the floor, wincing and rubbing his ankle. "Merlin, mum! That hurt."

"Sorry, James." She turned back to Lily, frowning at her again. "Who's the boy?"

Lily glanced at Harry, still sprawled on the ground. "Er, I dunno. He said his name was Harry. Wouldn't tell me his last name. I'm Lily Evans, by the way. I didn't tell you that, did I?"

"Harry?" James said in surprise. "Lily? Mum are they-"

"I don't know, James. Let me figure it out. _Ennervate!_"

Harry's eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly, grabbing his wand and immediately pointing it at the woman. Lily decided he must play Quidditch. His reflexes could have rivaled Potter's.

"What's going on?" he demanded. James stood up, pointing his wand at Harry.

"Hey! Watch it!" he shouted, glaring at the boy on the floor.

"Stop it, both of you!" the woman demanded, fending off her son. She studied Harry, but with less harshness than she had Lily, and more familiarity.

"Harry?" she asked. "That is you, isn't it?"

"Who are you?" he demanded again. "How do you know who I am?"

"I"m your best friend's little sister."

Harry's eyes widened. Lily frowned, confused. His best friend's little sister? But she looked too young to be that, if she was born in the sixties.

"_Ginny?_" he exclaimed. "Ginny, what?"

With a flick of her wand, Ginny removed the bonds from Lily's wrists and knees. She stood up, gratefully shaking out her hands. "Alright, someone better tell me what on Earth is going on!" she shouted, frowning at all three people in turn, who seemed to have a much better of knowledge about who and where they were than she did.

"How about we go downstairs and discuss this over lemonade?" Ginny asked, smiling more pleasantly now. Lily was confused. Weren't they still intruders?

"Ginny-" Harry started.

"Lemonade first."

* * *

The kitchen was rather large, Lily had decided. Counter covered the back wall and half of the sides, with a table in the middle. Three doors led out of it, one to a yard that looked out onto two other houses and a Quidditch field, another back to the living room, which also contained the staircase, and the last door on the back wall that led to a staircase that descended into darkness as far as she could see.

With a casual flick of her wand, Ginny had sent a pitcher of lemonade flying onto the table, filling up each of their glasses to the brim in one fluid movement. The pitcher set itself down neatly back on the counter, leaving both Lily and Harry to stare at it, impressed.

James sat down next to his mother, leaning on his elbows and staring at them with his eyes just above the top of the table.

Ginny sat down, and smiled at all three of them. "I'd presume you've got a lot of questions."

"Where are we?" Harry fired immediately, beating Lily to the chase. She snapped her mouth shut, watching the boy.

"Godric's Hollow," Ginny replied. "The other houses you can see through the doors are Angelina and Fred's, and Neville and Hannah's."

"Neville and Hannah Abbott?" Harry asked, eyes widening. Lily guessed he knew them, whenever he was from. She had realized that he couldn't possibly be from her time, considering she knew everyone in the fifth year at Hogwarts, yet she didn't know him.

Ginny nodded, shrugging as if she wasn't entirely sure how it had happened either.

"Who are you?" Lily asked, before Harry could continue.

"Ginny. Well, my maiden name's Weasley."

Lily nodded. she had heard of the Weasleys before.

"Maiden name?" Harry asked. James snickered a little, glancing at his mother.

Ginny smiled drily. "I'll explain later."

"Who are you?" Lily asked, glancing at Harry. He ran his hands through his messy black hair, so similar to Potter's.

"Erm, well, my name's Harry Potter," he said slowly, glancing at her. She betrayed no emotion, as she had figured anyway. "I was born in 1980," he added as an afterthought.

That made sense. It was perfectly plausible for Ginny to be his friend's little sister then.

"Sufficient?" James said, glancing between Harry and Lily. "Information, I mean. Done asking questions?"

"No," both Lily and Harry said, but he was already standing up, moving toward the back door. "I'll go get your book out of the basement, hmm, mum? I dont' think it's good to share any more information until Dad's home." And with that, he shut the wooden door behind him. His footsteps made creaking sounds on the stars.

"He's probably right," Ginny said. For a moment, they all sat in silence. Lily picked at the hem of her tie. Harry ruffled his hair again, and she suppressed the urge to tell him off for it.

James came running up the stairs much earlier that she expected. He slammed the door open, no book in his hands, and Lily was about to ask exactly what he was doing when he began to talk between deep breaths.

"Broken hourglass-golden dust-fingerprints on the boxes-one's tipped over!"

"James!" Ginny said. "Calm down."

He stood silently for a moment, catching his breath, before continuing. "There's a broken hourglass in the basement, surrounded by golden dust. Isn't that a time turner, mum?"

Ginny, much to Lily's surprise, swore loudly. "I think I know where Lily and Albus have gone," she said.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm really sorry for the wait on this one. It would've been up last night, but Fanfiction was being wonky and irritating.

So some things to know about this chapter-

Kobe is pronounced Kobie, and

_Prynhawn_ means afternoon in Welsh

I'll let you figure out what _nunc viator_ means for yourself :)

I also apologize if the fonts or formatting come out weird.

* * *

Disclaimer-I don't own Harry Potter, nor any characters and plots from the book, including the note Lupin gives to Albus.

* * *

1995

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Even though it was technically the summer, England, being England, was damp and cold. The air tore at the skin of Albus's face, making him wince and shut his eyes for a few moments at a time. He was afraid that he wasn't living up to his father's reputation for flying, as every time he adjusted his broom, he accounted for four inches more than he had to. He had forgotten how annoying being fifteen was.

Moody, who Al had managed to remember by one line, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" seemed to be as paranoid as his father made him out to be. He took them up into another cloud, justifying it with "Getting any followers off our tail!" By that point, Albus's glasses had frozen over, and his hands were beginning to stick to the broom handle from freezing mist. Not to mention, he couldn't exactly feel his toes.

"For Godric's sake, Mad-Eye!" Tonks finally shouted. "We'll be halfway to Iceland if you don't bloody quit taking detours."

"When we're attacked, you'll wish we had!" Moody replied, banking left and aiming downwards.

"Iceland's actually very green. It's a misnomer," Albus said, before he could stop himself. Clapping a hand over his mouth, he winced as his broom threw him a bit. He supposed if James was in his place, there wouldn't have been a doubt that he was Harry. Albus wasn't so sure he was pulling it off, what with the hard flying and unfamiliar broom.

"Odd, Harry," Lupin said, pulling up next to Al. "I didn't think you paid attention to things like that."

"Erm, I dunno," he replied, too quickly to seem entirely truthful. "It's erm, a bit boring down in…" Whose house was it? "The, erm, house."

Lupin shrugged before widening his eyes and taking a deep dive. Albus followed, glad that maneuver was simple enough on an old broom.

They landed in a small park in what Al figured to be London. The park could hardly be called a green, seeing as the grass was brown and brittle under his sneakers. Surrounding it were several rows of modest brick townhouses, with small yards guarded by wrought iron fences. Albus caught a bit of an infomercial through one of the windows before Moody prodded him in the shoulder-blade.

"Quit staring, boy," he said in his gravelly voice. Gulping, Al followed Lupin and Hestia Jones to one of the townhouses.

As the number of the townhouse came into sight, Albus realized exactly where he was. Number 12, Gimmauld Place… This was his father's godfather's house.

"Slow down there, Harry," Tonks said, smiling. "We're not going into any of those houses."

They weren't? But why else would they be here?

"Read this, but don't speak," Lupin said, handing him a small note.

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number 12, Grimmauld Place.

What was going on? Albus racked his brain for answers, frowning at the piece of paper. He looked up at Lupin in confusion.

He was smirking. "Look," he said, pointing at number 12.

For a moment Al stared at the unremarkable townhouse, though it was a good deal shabbier than those around it, and then something clicked. Hadn't his father said it had once been under the Fidelius charm? And if so, since he had been to the house, he would be able to see it.

But Lupin and the rest of the Order didn't know that. Realizing a split second later that he ought to hope he was a good actor, Albus feigned amazement, staring at the building as if it was… doing whatever charmed buildings do when you're given clearance by the Secret-Keeper.

"We go inside that one," Tonks said, stepping forward. The rest of the group followed, Albus along with them.

Moody knocked on the thick looking wooden door with the odd brass knocker. Al shivered, the house smelled like dark magic, something that he often smelled when hanging out with Teddy in his office at the Misuse of Magic Department of the Ministry. He dealt with tampered charms.

Every time Albus breathed in, the odd smell caught a hitch in his throat, making a clicking sound that he was pretty sure only he could hear.

The hall was dark and dingy, but he had expected that of a house that smelled like dark magic. What he wasn't prepared for were the decapitated heads of house elves mounted on the walls, nor the old portraits that had faded so much only the blackened silhouettes of their residents were still visible.

"Harry!" A familiar voice exclaimed. Al recognized a younger version of his Gran, her red hair graying but still vibrant. Her eyes shone with the same love she showed in 2022, which surprised him for a moment, as Molly Weasley had only known Harry for a few years now.

Albus stopped himself before a "Gran!" could slip out, and instead settled for, "Mrs. Weasley!" She smiled, and he knew he hadn't messed up horribly yet.

"Oh, Harry, it's so good to see you!" She smiled at him, motioning to the staircase. "Hermione and Ron are just upstairs. On you go, then."

"But what's-" Al started.

"Order meeting. Members only," Gran said, trying to look remorseful. Albus doubted it; she was probably glad that he didn't have the opportunity to get himself killed.

Though, knowing his Dad, he had found some way to almost die regardless.

Reluctantly, Albus walked slowly up the stairs, preparing himself to meet the Weasleys and his aunt.

Don't call her Aunt. Don't mention an uncle. And Salazar's saddlebags, don't wig out about Uncle Fred!

Salazar's saddlebags. James would be ashamed.

The moment he stepped into the small room, Albus was ambushed by a curly, brown-haired mass of person who threw her arms around his neck. Albus held his breath, engulfed by the witch's bushy brown hair, before realizing that it was merely his fifteen year old aunt and that he oughtn't to draw his wand. Awkwardly he strung his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Harry, we're so glad you're here! We're sorry we couldn't right, Dumbledore wouldn't let us, we promise!"

"Sheesh, Hermione, give the guy a break." A voice Al recognized as his Uncle Ron's said. Albus could hear the smile behind the boy's words. For a moment he felt a sense of elation; he was no longer alone with strangers who, for all he knew of 1995, could be Death Eaters in disguise, but with people his father had trusted completely. Unfortunately, the rational side of his mind had to step in and remind his that Voldemort was still alive and that this year was going to be rubbish for him if he couldn't get home.

"Hello t'you too," Al managed, smiling at his aunt and uncle. They smiled back, Ron's grin slightly crooked and Hermione's grin slightly over-enthusiastic.

"We thought you were going to kill us, the way you sent Hedwig and told her not leave without a full reply. Ron's got the scars-see?" Hermione had seized Ron's right index finger, pulling it up to Albus. It was covered in small scars the shape of an owl's beak.

He winced, ducking backward. "Yes, erm, I'm uh, sorry about that." Why had his Dad told Hedwig to attack his best friends? Albus, who had never been a particularly good actor, simply nodded wordlessly to Hermione and hoped he looked convincing.

Lily would be so much better than him at this. Or even James, who would fit confidently into his apparent new personality. Acting was hard.

Just as Albus was reaching up to run his twitching fingers through his hair, a loud crack! engulfed the room.

* * *

1975

* * *

It took all of Lily's willpower not to turn down toward the dungeons when Marlene suggested they go to the common room. She had taken two steps in the wrong direction before noticing the confused looks Alice and Hestia were sending here. Shaking her head, she cursed the fact that Lily had to be a Gryffindor. Being Slytherin would make everything so much simpler.

Or would it? Hadn't the Slytherins actually been the bad guys during the 70s?

Running a hand through her hair, (a habit she had picked up from her oldest brother) Lily checked to make sure she was in step with Marlene, just in case. She examined the faces of the other students as they passed by, some faces bringing up fuzzy memories of her school friends, while others dredged up nothing from the deepest pits of her brain.

They were the ones that worried her. At least if she recognized students from the faces of her own peers, she would know they survived.

"You sure you're okay, Lily?" Alice asked, nudging her gently on the elbow. Alice seemed like the gentlest of the three girls Lily had met so far, quiet and bookish. Marlene exuded the air of the headstrong and daring Gryffindor. Though, not all students fit into their house stereotypes. Anyone who had met her Aunt Hermione could tell you that.

"Fine," she replied. Lily pressed her sweaty palms into her shorts, desperately wishing that Dumbledore would return soon. She had no idea how to get home.

The four girls made their way up the staircase, stopping at the fat lady. Lily expected the typical glare from the painting, who was particularly adverse to Slytherins, but to her surprise, the painted woman gave her a warm smile.

"Nice afternoon, girls. Password, if you will?"

"Nunc viator," Hestia provided, stepping through the portrait hole.

Alice murmured a quiet, "Nice afternoon as well," following the other two girls. Lily entered last.

The common room was nearly exactly as she remembered, though lacking the memorial pictures for the Gryffindors who had perished in the Battle of Hogwarts. Despite that it was late May and nearing summer, the fire crackled pleasantly in the hearth, giving off virtually no heat. Rugs covered the floor, the same patterns that lurked in Lily's memory from the many times she had entered with James.

Speaking of Jameses, the one who currently resided in 1975 hopped over the back of the antique couch and enveloped Lily in a hug before she could open her mouth.

"Merlin, Lily! Don't do that! Gave me quite a fright, you did."

Lily froze, her joints locking and her throat closing up momentarily. It's alright. You're alright. Just hugging your dead grandfather. No big deal.

She gritted her teeth. "Potter, get off of me. Nice to see that you're worried over a bloody prank." The words physically hurt her tongue to say, her prior ferocity in the courtyard worn off with her panic. She shouldn't be yelling at her own grandfather, not the man who had died for her father. It didn't feel right.

"Called it!" Sirius shouted from behind the couch, the top of his dark haired head peeking out above the upholstery. James sent him a ferocious glare, and Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. Sorry, mate."

"Hey, what's that?" James asked, momentarily getting a grip on the edge of the photograph Lily still carried. She had forgotten about it on the walk up, absentmindedly twisting in her nervous hands. None of the girls had asked.

"Is it your business?" The words came easier this time, but they still sent a pang to both her head and her heart. It's not right.

But what was she supposed to do? Should she feel happy or sad? The emotions muddled up in her brain made the world twist and turn in front of her eyes. She desperately wished for the panic and adrenaline of an unexpected time travel to overtake her again. Preferably, she would end back at home.

Shaking her head the slightest bit, Lily wrenched the photograph from James's grip. Luckily he hadn't gotten a chance to look at it. Her sight cleared, and she noticed Hestia, Marlene, and Alice glaring at the two boys.

"C'mon, Lily," Hestia said. Alice sent a disappointed look toward James. Marlene sent a harsh glare.

Lily followed them up the steps, glancing backward once at the boys. Sirius caught her gaze, smirked and raised his eyebrows. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes before turning back to the girl's dormitories.

The dorm nearly mirrored her own, with rich, dark wooden floors and hangings with witch's hats and wands on them. However, instead of a window with green light spilling in from the underwater view of the lake, Lily caught a glance of the Quidditch field through the glass. The hangings were scarlet and gold instead of emerald and silver, and the whole room in general was brighter.

She wasn't sure if it was nicer than her own dormitory or not. The lake view had always been comforting, and the brief glimpses of mermen had fascinated her first year self.

Another girl was sprawled out on the bed nearest to the door, the hangings flipped above the canopy. Her eyes scanned a note written in expensive looking stationary, her honey blond hair falling into her eyes.

"'Lo, Mary," Hestia greeted, flopping down on her own bed.

"Prynhawn," Mary replied back. Lily, still standing in the doorway, frowned. What language was that?

"You're speaking Welsh again, Mary," Marlene said with a roll of her eyes.

"Right. Sorry, I was writing a letter to my mam."

"That what you're reading?" Alice asked, kicking off one of her shoes. "That paper looks awfully expensive for a weekly letter."

"No," she said with a sigh. "Seems Kobe Boot's asked me out, with this nice little letter and all." The four other girls turned to look at Lily, who had gravitated over to what she assumed was Lily Evans's bed, judging from the pictures on the nightstand.

"What?" Lily asked, frowning at her new dorm-mates.

"Kobe Boot?" Mary inquired. "You don't mind he's asked me out?"

Kobe Boot? There was a Jennifer Boot in her history of magic class. Must be an ancestor. "No. Should I?"

Marlene sat up straight, fixing Lily with a stare. "Should you? He's only been the boy you've been waiting to ask you out since third year!"

My grandmother liked a boy named Kobe Boot? Really? She cleared her throat. No dating during her time here, she decided immediately. The fact that all of these people would be in their sixties during her time was fresh on her mind. "Well, I don't mind." Lily didn't address anyone, but Mary just shrugged and glanced back at the note.

"I think I'll say yes."

Lily turned her attention back to her grandmother's nightstand. Two main pictures took up the space of the nightstand, along with an alarm clock she assumed ran on magic, seeing as it had no plug.

The first picture she examined was a muggle one, the children in the photo's smiles frozen on their faces. One was obviously Lily Evans, she could see the same emerald eyes that she, her father, and Albus possessed. Her grandmother had dimples, carving small holes in her freckle covered cheeks. Her bright red hair blew in the wind behind her, seemingly about shoulder length. The second girl in the photo was blond, her long neck making her about two inches taller than Lily. Her blue eyes looked less trustful than the bright, innocent girl next to her.

It was her father's Aunt Petunia, Lily realized. She turned to the next photo, a picture of what she supposed was her great-grandparents. Mr. Evans had bright red hair just like his youngest daughter, though Petunia had inherited his eyes. Laugh lines circled around the corners of his mouth. Overall, he looked rather pleasant, and Lily would have liked to meet him.

Maybe you will. She shook the thought off. Going to her grandmother's house for the summer was something she definitely wasn't comfortable doing. Hogwarts 1975 was bad enough.

Mrs. Evans had blond hair, like Petunia, and the stunning emerald eyes that Lily saw when she looked into the mirror. Her smile looked a bit more strained than her husbands, and for a moment Lily wondered why. Still, they both looked normal and happy.

Examining the rest of the stand, Lily opened the first drawer, finding various broken quills and returned homework assignments.(All of them O's, of course.) The second drawer held neatly organized lip balm and one tube of mascara, which Lily decided immediately she wasn't going to use. She hated makeup, unless she needed it to get something done. It had been extremely helpful when two seventh year Ravenclaw boys had thought she had stolen their remembrall, but other than that, she didn't see much use.

The third drawer held the jackpot. It was empty except for one thin notebook and a discarded picture. Turning it over, she saw a Lily Evans that looked about her age, smiling next to a Slytherin boy with a hooked nose and greasy hair about the length of Sirius's. He was smiling hesitantly, though he kept glancing behind him at the corridor.

Severus Snape, Lily realized. The man her brother was named after. Putting the picture back, along with the frame she had brought with her, she picked up the small notebook.

Penciled in neat handwriting, read. Property of Lily Marie Evans.

A diary! If Lily was going to survive here, though she was still holding on to the hope that Dumbledore could send her home, she would need to know a bit more about her grandmother.

Shutting out the other girl's hushed conversations, Lily opened the notebook and began to read.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next chapter! I apologize if it's a little confusing, having two versions of the same character is a little hard to write.

Enjoy!

* * *

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter, nor any characters.

* * *

2022

* * *

"How?" Harry and James demanded at the exact same time. They exchanged glances, and Lily almost wanted to laugh. The two boys had the same expressions of shock and confusion, down to the left eyebrow that was slightly quirked upwards.

"You know," Harry started, "from a bloody broken time turner and time sand, exactly where your children have gone? Do mothers have like, an instinct for that stuff?"

Ginny laughed, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Lily wondered exactly where she thought the two teenagers were. It didn't seem to be a very nice place, not from her reaction.

"Blimey, Harry, you sound like Ron. And no, unless I just haven't inherited it. I don't know where they are exactly either. Just… A very good guess." She shook her head, still slightly amused, but Lily still noticed the tenseness as she moved, like the woman was nervous about something.

_Not that she hasn't got any reason to be_, Lily scolded herself. _Honestly, she's just found out that her son and daughter are missing._

In fact, Ginny seemed to be handling the situation extremely well.

"Where d'you think they are, then?" she asked, frowning. Harry turned to Ginny as well, while James slumped lower against the door frame he leaned against and ducked his head so his messy black bangs covered his eyes.

It reminded Lily so much of her James, she almost wanted to be sick.

Ginny ran her hand through her own hair, which made Lily flinch. Honestly, did they all do that? "Neither of you had a time turner on you when you, erm, ended up here, yes?"

"I didn't," Lily replied, folding her arms as well.

Harry sighed. "No. I was at the Dursley's."

"Dursleys?" Lily echoed. "Why does that sound familiar?" She racked her brains, searching through long forgotten memories. It had something to do with her sister didn't it? But all she could come up with was a whale… What did a whale have to do with Petunia?

"Should it sound familiar?" he replied, staring at her with an odd expression on his face. It seemed to be a mix between hatred and longing. She wasn't sure which were directed at her.

"Well, Lily and Albus both disappeared, and you both disappeared- at the same time, I assume? Can you apply that to time travel? Anyway, since they broke the time turner, and neither of you did, perhaps you switched places? Don't ask me to explain how, that's hardly my medium, but it's possible, isn't it?"

"Sounds right," James admitted, nodding. "So our Lily's in some year in the seventies-"

"1975," Lily interjected.

"Right, and Albus is in... what, 1995?"

"S'pose," Ginny replied, shrugging. "Makes as much sense as any. We'll wait for Harry to come back, he'll have an idea."

"Me?" Harry said in surprise. "What d'you mean-"

"I'm home!" sounded from the hallway, reverberating through the house. Both Lily and Harry flinched a bit, recognizing the voice. Ginny grinned a little and stood up, leaving the kitchen for what Lily guessed was the front door. Harry glanced at her with a confused look on his face, which she assumed was from the fact that apparently another Harry was talking to Ginny at that moment.

She sent him a shrug and look that she hoped seemed reassuring, but he probably didn't know her well enough to tell.

The three of them in the kitchen could hear voices sounding from the hallway. James pushed himself off the door frame to go greet "Harry."

Lily fingered the edge of her necktie, tracing over the golden stripes. Harry sat up straight next to her, leaning towards the open doorway to see if he could eavesdrop. Neither of them caught much of the conversation, just snippets of speech.

"Dad!"

"-You'll be so surprised…"

"-We're not sure."

"-No idea. Just appeared!"

"-Broken time turner."

"-Two children, yes. They'll look familiar, if you know what I mean."

"They're talking about us," Harry noted, staring at her with his unnerving green eyes. Where had she seen those before?

Shaking her head, Lily sighed. "Well, I would go closer to listen in, but that would be rather rude, don't you think?"

He shrugged. "Stay here then." Standing up, he tiptoed to the doorway, before slipping out into the hall.

Lily heaved a sigh, sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs. Boys. Couldn't they just follow the rules for once?

Though, no one had explicitly stated that they had to stay here. Sure, there was a strange feeling in the air that this room was safer than all of the others, but feelings were wrong all the time. Weren't they?

Muttering under her breath about Potters, she slipped out into the hallway, spotting Harry next to a window. The blinds were open, showing a familiar scene to Lily. It appeared Ginny and James and whoever else lived in the house were situated in the middle of a muggle neighborhood. She could spot cars in cracked driveways, grills in backyards, the grass yellowing in the heat, and scribbled games of hopscotch on the deserted road. Grinning a little, she turned to Harry.

"Nice, isn't it?" she asked. "Normal. Sometimes, when the Slytherins get really bad, I wish I could just go home. Of course, I can't, not really, because it's not any safer there or anything-"

"Doesn't matter what happens at Hogwarts, it's better than home," Harry interrupted. He ran another hand through his hair, and Lily fought to keep her own hanging at her sides. She frowned, studying him for a moment.

Right, of course. He was a Potter, a boy who had probably grown up with magic. Why would he be nostalgic about a boring muggle neighborhood?

Lily couldn't be sure why anywhere was better than his home, however. She was still trying to puzzle that one out.

A flash of bright light burst out from one of the bushes lining the side yard of the house, temporarily blinding Lily. She blinked her eyes and glanced back at the bush.

Nothing. Turning to Harry, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Did you see that?"

"What?" Apparently not. With a shrug, Lily turned her attention back to the conversation.

"They're in the kitchen, yeah," Ginny was saying. Footsteps sounded from the end of the hall, and Lily made to go back into the kitchen when she noticed Harry was frozen in his place. Ginny, James, and the other Harry stood, watching the two carefully.

Lily suppressed a gasp as she looked at the other Harry. He wasn't as lanky or skinny, but he had the tell-tale messy black hair of all Potters, even the same lightning shaped scar on his forehead. His emerald green eyes reminded her of the something lurking at the back of her brain the same way the Harry standing next to her did.

His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he seemed to be about to grin, though he wasn't sure if that was acceptable yet.

"H-hello," Lily stammered. The older Harry blinked at her, frowning a bit, before turning to the younger Harry.

"You're me," the younger Harry said, frowning.

"Appears so," older Harry replied, grinning now. "I'd imagine you'd be quite surprised."

Harry gulped, still staring at his older self. "You don't seem so surprised."

"Oh, I've just sent Merlin back to his time. It's been happening a lot lately, actually. The Ministry's starting to get worried." Harry smiled, and Lily was strongly reminded of Dumbledore.

"You aren't worried?" younger Harry asked.

"I'm good at hiding it."

Younger Harry frowned, his gaze shifting around the room. Lily caught him glancing at a photograph hanging on the wall.

"Wait," he said, slowly, "you don't live here, do you?"

"Wha- yeah, I live here," older Harry replied, his hands still in his pockets.

"But Ginny lives here too."

Lily stifled a giggle, glancing at younger Harry. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

"What?"

Ginny smiled, amused, and James started to laugh, watching Harry's reaction. Older Harry gave him a grin that said you'll get it soon enough.

"I live here and so does Ginny," he said, slowly.

Younger Harry gulped and glanced at Lily, who by then had broken down in snickers. "Right."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to the idea."

Ginny glanced at older Harry. "He'd better. It only took you five years."

"I was an idiot about relationships."

"You're still an idiot about relationships."

Older Harry let out a laugh. "Yeah, don't remind me. Anyway, you'd be Lily?" He asked, nodding at the redhead.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling and waving. "Erm, I dunno why I'm here. I mean, I s'pose it was an accident, the whole time travel thing, but you all seem to be related all, and I'm not related to any of you all… Why're you looking at me like that?"

He had been watching her with an amused expression, running hand through his hair as his eyes twinkled. "Ginny, what have you told them?"

"Not much," Ginny admitted.

Lily felt like she was in the same boat younger Harry had been just a few minutes before. "Will someone please tell me what we're talking about? Because I'm pretty sure I'm not related to any of you."

Older Harry looked from Ginny to James and younger Harry. "You mean you haven't even mentioned it to her?"

"Mentioned what?" Lily demanded, crossing her arms. "If you won't tell me, I'll figure it out myself. And I'm warning you, I'm not exactly easy on what I look into. So if you find anything broken around here it was probably me." She glared at each of the other four occupants of the hallway in turn, waiting for them to respond.

"Go on, Harry," Ginny said, raising her eyebrows and smiling at her husband. For a moment Lily felt uncomfortable, thinking that the sentence gave off tension, but she realized that the red haired woman was smiling playfully.

"Well," older Harry started, running his hand through his hair, making Lily inconspicuously clench her fists. "Erm, you… Look, there's a boy in your year named James, yes?"

"What's this got to do with him?" she asked, frowning. Younger Harry flinched in the corner of her eyesight.

"Yeah, well, he likes you doesn't he?" he continued. Lily frowned, turning her glare up to full blast and focusing it right into the dark haired man's eyes.

"He's faking it. Most definitely. And I don't like him anyway. He's an arrogant prat." Younger Harry seemed to be shaking now, staring at her, and she wasn't sure why.

"Well, I think you just might change your opinion later on," older Harry said, watching her carefully. "See, you're… Well… Oh, blimey, forget this. You're sort of my mother."

You could hear a pin drop in the hallway, a surprise for the Potter household.

"What!" Lily shrieked, her voice echoing off the wooden walls. She cleared her throat. "How do I ever end up _liking_ him?"

"Dunno," he replied. "But it'll happen."

"Wait," younger Harry said, "why are you telling us about our futures? Couldn't we, ruin the timeline or something?"

Ginny sighed, and glanced at her husband. "Well, we've got memory charms. And, it sort of started coming out after you told me who you were. I'm a bloody reporter here, I don't usually keep secrets. Not to mention that didn't go so well the last time."

Both Harrys flinched, and Lily glanced at them confused. "What?"

"Later," older Harry said, smiling a little. "Ginny's right, the Ministry's quite good at memory charms. And I did say I'd just sent back Merlin. Plus… I know you," he pointed at his younger self, "can't keep from exploring things for the life of you. No point, really."

"You just said too much and made up excuse, didn't you," younger Harry said calmly.

Lily giggled a little, glancing at the teenager, and Ginny and James both let out a full on laugh. Older Harry spluttered a bit before responding.

"Funny how I'm not obtuse about that!"

Ginny heaved another breathless laugh. "You were obtuse about some things and smart about others."

"Hey!" younger Harry protested. "I'm right here!"

Lily turned abruptly toward the door to the living room as a green flash burst out of the room, the fireplace to be exact. It must've been the floo.

Sure enough, a second later, as James had started toward the living room, younger Harry had backed away nervously, and older Harry and Ginny had exchanged frowns, a red and bushy haired girl burst into the hallway.

"Uncle Harry! You ought to come look at this!" She stood in front of them, panting as if she had just run a mile. Her gaze quickly drifted to younger Harry, fixing on his lightning shaped scar. "Erm, hello. You're- you're not Al, are you?"


End file.
